DSCOVR Mission Passes Major Milestones

DSCOVR satellite at NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Md., waits to be shipped to Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The upcoming Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), a satellite designed to monitor and warn of harmful solar activity that could impact Earth, recently cleared two major reviews and remains on track to launch January 23, 2015.

Passing the Pre-ship Review confirmed the satellite’s hardware and software was ready to be transported to the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Fla. DSCOVR arrived in Florida today (November 20). Clearing the Operational Readiness Review certified DSCOVR had a successful assessment of its ground system readiness, flight concept of operations, project management, operations and sustainment plans, safety and mission assurance, system design, technical management, training and product validation.

NOAA will manage the DSCOVR mission, giving advanced warning of approaching solar storms. NASA, funded by NOAA, refurbished the DSCOVR satellite and instruments, which were in storage for several years. The U.S. Air Force is funding and overseeing the launch of DSCOVR, which will be aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our other social media channels.